Combined hinge and doorcheck



Oct; 4,192.7. v 1,644,249 J. H. HARRISON COMBINED HINGE AND DOORCHECK Filed May 18, 1926 r C) 0 O 7 O 9/ O0 A mm 1 h v I mu 3 2 P Hill 12/ l |NVENTOR J H Harri so];

NBY ATTOQEY Patented Oct. 4, 1927.

UNITED STATES I 1,644,249 PA TENT, OFFICE.

JOHN H. HARRISON, OF

COMBINED HINGE Application filed May 18,

This invention relates to door checks and particularly to a check to be used in connection with screen and other .doors'h'aving spring hinges acting to close the-same.

The principal object of inyinvention is to provide a check to prevent slamming of doors of this character constructed in the form of a hinge member to be applied to the door and l rame, and so arranged that the slamming ot' the door will be positively checked while at the same time the desired speed of closing of the door during the major part of the closing movement is not only not interfered with, butin-ay be accelerated if desired.

A "further .object isto construct the device in such a manner that it may be adjusted to "function eiiiciently with different strength of door hinge sprin s, and with any such spring the device will automatically adjust itself to prevent slamming as efficiently when the door is opened wide (and the spring is under great tension) as when the door is opened'only slightly and the spring is under proportionately smaller'tension'.

A further object of the invention is to produce simple and inexpensive device and yet one which will be exceedingly effective tor the purpose for which it is' designed.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by aperusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawings similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several Views:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my improved door check.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same.

3 is a bottom plan View of the device.

Fig. 1 is a cross section'on the line l& of Fig. 1.

deterring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawings, 1 and 2 denote a pair of transversely spaced plates drilled to enable them to be secured onto a door and frame in vertical alinement with the doorhinges,

The plate 1 has av single ear 3 projecting outwardly therefrom intermediate its ends and toward the other plate, while the plate 2 has similarly projecting upper and lower ears l and 5 respectivelyand between which the ear 3 passes. Tliefd'itiejrent ears are separated by washers 6 of a slightly compressi- STOCKTON, .cA 'InonNIA.

AND noononnox.

1926. Serial No. 1093919.

ble nature. Snper'imposed on the ear 4 is a disc 7 provided =with peripheral ratchet teeth '8 tolie engaged by a spring pawl 9 projectingtangentially toward the disc from and attached to thepl-ate 1. These teeth are cutin a direction such that they move past the pawl when the plates are turned so that their outer faces approach or-are folded ontoeach other. The diameter of the :ear 4 is slightly greater than the outer edges of the teeth "8' except tor the portion thereof adjacent the plate 2 "which is cut inwardly or recessed as'at 10, the pawl 9 ove'rlziangin g the sideedge of t he'ear somewhat. The purpose of this arrangement will be 'seen later. I The adjacent taces of the disc and ear are provided with radial and cooperating ridges and depress/ions 11 and 12 respectivel'y, there being the same number of these elements as there-are teeth 8 and the sides thereof being tapered somewhat; Also these ridges normally have a somewhat free fit verticallyin the corresponding depressions.

Disposed underand againstthe ear 5 is another disc 13 having peripheral ratchet teeth 14 cut thereinythese teeth being only on -tl1e side of the disc facing theplate 2. These teeth are adapted to be engaged by a spring pawl15 projecting tangentially from the plate 2. This pawl, when the plates are in aline-mentwith each other or in their unfolded position, is automatically disengaged from the teeth by a rigid -trip -IG projecting toward'said pawl from the plate 1. These teeth are cut-s0 that when the plates 1 and 2 are turning in the'same direction as above the pawl will pass "freely over said teeth without operatively engaging the same.

The disc 13 on the side thereof adjacent the plate 1 has a stop 17projecting therefrom and normally abutting against the plate 1.

These parts are all held in 'conce-ntric and 'turnable relation with each other by'acentral pin or bolt 18 which has an adjustable nut 19'abo've the disc 7 and an enlargedhead 18 on its opposite end bearing-againstthe disc 13. The pin is turnable in all the parts except theear 5, with which it has'non-turning engagement ee -indicated in Fig. 4:. The pin is "therefore stationary' relative to the plate- 2.

A spiral spring 20 between the pin head and the disc 1?) acts to p'r'essth'e stop '17 of said disc against the plate 1. The-adjacent surfaces of the ear 5 and disc 13 are .o'ppo sitely sloped or wedge shaped as"sliown at pins of the door hinges.

21 in Fig. 1. The slope of these two surfaces is so disposed that when the plates 1 and 2 are in transverse alinementand the stop 17 is bearing against the plate 1, the distance between the opposite faces of the members 5 and 13, or the combined thickness of said members, is the minimum possible.

To install the device the plates are merely secured to the door and its frame at any suitable location and on the same side thereof as the door hinges are located. The parts of the device are so proportioned that the hinge pin 18 will be in alinement with the hinge The nut 19 is then properly adjusted, to leave some clearance between it and the adjacent disc 7 as shown, and with due regard to the strength of the hinge springs. WVhen the doors are closed the plates 1 and 2 are transversely alined; and when the doors are open the plates turn about the pin 18 and fold onto each other. During the latter operation, assuming that the plate 1 is on the door frame and is sta tionary and that the plate 2 is on the door and relatively movable, the upper disc 7 and ear 4 turn together, the pawl 9 passing by the disc so that there is no tendency to rotate or hold the latter independently of the plate 2. Said disc and ear will of courseturn together as long as there is nothing to restrain them since the ridges and depressions thereof are engaged with each other. After a small amount of rotative movement of the plate 2 the enlarged portion of the ear 4 engages the pawl 9 and holds the same clear of the teeth 8. At the same time the lower pawl 15 is passing by the teeth 14 of the disc 13, so that there is no tendency for said disc to rotate, and in fact it is definitely held from rotation by the spring 20 and the stop 17. Since the pin 18 to which one end of the spring is mounted must turn with the ear 5, the spring becomes wound up, but the disc will not turn as the stop 17 is still engaged with. the plate 1 as stated. The ear turns however so that with this opening movement of the door and folding movement of the plates, the wedge surfaces of the ear and adjacent disc climb each other, increasing the distance between the opposite faces of said members. This causes the pin 18 to be drawn downwardly and the play between the nut 19 and the disc 7 to be taken up, so that said disc and the ear 4 will be held snugly against each other.

lVhen the opening movement of the door is completed and the door is released so that the spring hinges thereof act to close said door, the parts of the check device function as follows:

The pawl 15 immediately engages a tooth 14, causing the disc 13 and ear 5 to turn together, thus preventing the release of the wedge surfaces and maintaining the tension the plate 1. I The pawl 9however is not engaged with a tooth 8 at this time, since said pawl is held clear of the plane of the teeth by reason of its being engaged by the enlarged surface of the ear 4. All parts of the check device therefore turn together without any restraint, permitting the hinge springs to close the door quickly as is desirable. l Vhen the door is approachinga closed position however the depressed portion of the ear 4 passes under the pawl 9, allowing the latter to approach and engage an adjacent tooth S. g This immediately checks the closing of the door, since the disc 7 is held from free rotation with the ear 4 and the latter can only further rotate by causing the ridges on the ear to move from their seats in the depressions of the disc 7 past the adjacent ridges of said disc to seats in the adjacent disc depressions. This necessitates the compression of the washers 6 or the flexing of the disc 7, and considerable but not impossible resistance is thus offered to the final turning movement of the plate 2 and the closing of the door. The depression 10 of the ear 4 is so located between the point of engagement of the pawl with a tooth and the final closed position of the door or the aliiied position of the plates, so that said disc is only turned relative to the ear 4 an arcuate distance equal to the pitch of one tooth or the spacing between adjacent ridges of the disc or ear.

Just before the plate 2 and ear complete their turning movement the trip 16 engages the pawl and moves the same clear of the tooth 14 previously engaged by said pawl. This permits thespring 20 to function and causes the disc 13 to be rotated to its original normal position. This retracts the wedge faces of the disc and ear 5, slackens the superimposed parts of the device, and restores the clearance between the nut 19 and disc 7. All parts are then in their original positions ready for further checking operations. This final operation is, as above indicated, timed to occur after the checking means has functioned.

When the door is opened wide the springs of the hinges are placed under considerable tension, so that a quick closing action is imparted to the door and considerable resistance must be provided in the check device to check the closing action and prevent slamming.

If the door is opened only slightly the springs are placed under much lesser tension, and a less resistance must therefore be provided in the check device to permit the same to function without preventing the weaker spring actionfrom moving the door to a fully closed position.

These results are attained without adjusting the nut 19 by reason of the wedge surfaces 21. It will be seen that if the doors are opened wide a great movement of the lUU wedge surfaces relative to each other'takes place, and consequently all clearance between the superimposed parts is taken up. This requires great pressure to cause thedisc and ear ridges to move out of one position and into another, thus causing greater friction between the discs and plate to be had. Vheh the door is opened only part way there'i'sa proportionately lesser movement between the wedge surfaces and a smaller amount of clearance istheretore taken up. This enables the disc and ear ridges to shift with a lesser pressure as will be evident. By adjusting the nut the proper operation of the device for different strengths of hinge springs may be provided for, since with heavy or strong springs a greater pressure on the check device is had with a door closing movement from any position than with ajrelatively light or weak spring from the same relative door positions.

From the toreging'description it will be readily seen that I have produced such a device as substantially'fulfills the objects of the invention as set forth herein. While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do no t form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as definedb'y the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and useful and desire to securev by Letters Patent is:

1. A combined hinge and door check including members for attachment to a door and its casing, hinge connections between the members, checking means mounted in direct connection with the hinge'connections, means associated with said checking means for permitting of unchecked door opening movement, means also associated with said checking means for permitting of uncheckeddoor closin g movement to adjacent the fully closed position of the door, and means for then causing the checking means to function with the further closing movement of the door.

2. A structure as in claim 1, and neans incorporated with said checking means for causing the said means to be restored to its normal unchecking relationship with the hinge connections by the time the door reaches its fully closed position.

3. A structure as in claim 1, and means incorporated with said checking means for causing the extent 012' the checking action to be automatically proportioned to the amount of initial door opening movement.

4-. A combined hinge and door check including a pair of transversely alined plates for attachment to' a door and" its traln'e, cooperating ears projecting from the plates toward each other in overhanging relation, a

discsuperimposed on one ear, alternating ridges and depressions on the adjacent faces of the ear and lifted clear, .of the teet tionof saidear and disc, normallymainta-ined in. engaging .yieldable pelationship, a hinge pinthrough the ears and disc, means sfor holding the discctrom rotation with the ear andmeans causing said first named means to function only when the'plates are approaching a normal alined position afiter being turned to a folding position relative to. each otherabout :the pin as an axis.

Astrnctureas in .c laimsl, and automatically -lz'nnction-ing.means acting t regulate the yieldability of engagementiof the disc and ear ridges in inverse, proportionto the initial extent-of folding movement Of the plates.

6. Adooncheck including-a Pair of spaced plates i011 attachment to. a doorand' its frame, cooperating .ear-s projeetingtrom the plates toward. each other in overhanging re a i a disc. superimposed on one ear, alternating rid es and depressions on the adjac nt a s of said ear-anddisc, normally maintained -1I1 engaging but yieldable relat on hip, hinge throughthe earscanid disc, ratchet teeth .on the .d-isc apawl t0: Engage the teeth mounted on -.the..oppos tn .platfi' th B theridgedear is connected, v nd me n prenentang engagement not the paw w t e teeth except when the plat s are nearly alined relationship. 1

-7. A .door eheckdneluding pair f Spa plates :for. attachment to a door and its ira-me, cooperating ears projecting from the plates. toward each o her i ov rhang ng reat1on,a disc superimposed on one ana er hating ridges and depr ssion 1 1 .6 adiacentwfaces: of said ear and disc, n mal y maintained in enga ng but yi l able matipnship, a hinge pin through the ears and (1180, ratchet teeth on the disc, a pawl to engage th teet m u d on h opposi e platieto the w the r dg d ear is n iste the ridged ear projecting outwardly of the dise-teeth except adjacent th plane of the pawl when thn plat a in a in me i pawl overhanging the ed e-of the disc whereby t h engag d by the nlar d on ii when the la es re tu n d iremr aid l n rele- '8.- A oo h ck nc u i g a pa of sp e P a e or att ehmen to a door n its frame, cooperating ears projecting from e pl s t ward each th r hang n relatien, a dis uperiaipese o on alternatin .r dee fend den ess ens th diaeent la-mee said ear and di c, 191- .lllally maintained in engaging ut yieldable filatienshiae h ng Pin threes? he a iand disc, m n e h ding the di c f om rotation with theear functioningenly when the plates are approaching anorm-al alined position after being 'tunne'd-to a folding po- Sition' reletiv'e to .Ye'a'chxother about the him as an axis, a nut on the pin ahove the dis in normal clearance relation therewith, means for taking up said clearance as the plates are folded, whereby the nut and disc will be in close relationship, and means maintaining the members in such close relationship until the plates have returned to their normal alined position.

9. A door check including a pair of spaced plates for attachment to a door and its frame, cooperating ears projecting from the plates toward each other in overhanging relation, a disc superimposed on one ear, alternating ridges and depressions on the adjacent faces of said ear and disc, normally maintained in engaging but yieldable rela tionship, a hinge pin through the ears and disc, means for holding the disc from rotation with the ear functioning only when the plates are approaching a normal alined position after being turned to a folding position relative to each other about the pin as an axis, a nut on the pin above the disc in normal clearance relation therewith, means for taking up said clearance as the plates are folded, and in proportion to the amount of folding action, and means for maintaining the nut and disc in the relative positions attained with such folding action until the plates have returned to said normal alined position.

10. A door check including a pair of spaced plates for attachment to a door and its frame, cooperating ears projecting from the plates toward each other in overhanging relation, a disc superimposed on one ear, alternating ridges and depressions on the adjacent facesof said ear and disc, normally maintained in engaging but yieldable relationship, a hinge pin through the ears and disc, means for holding the disc from rotation with the ear functioning only when the plates are approaching a normal alined position after being turned to a folding position relative to each other about the pin as an axis, a nut on the pin above the disc in normal clearance relation therewith, another disc mounted on the pin and engaging an ear of the same plate as that from which the ridged ear projects, a head on the pin bearing against said other disc, the adjacent faces of the latter disc and the adjacent ear being cut on a slope and abutting against each other, whereby when the said last named ear and disc are turned relative to each other the thickness of the same together will be increased and the pin moved longitudinally, means whereby the said last named disc will be held from turning with the ear during a folding movement of the plates, means then cau'singsaid last named ear and plate to turn together as the plates are unfolded, means releasing said last named disc from turning engagement with the ear only when the plates arrive at their normal alined position, and spring means acting to then restore said last named disc to its normal position.

11. A door check including 1 a pair of spaced-plates for attachment to a door and its frame, cooperating ears projecting from the plates toward each other in overhanging relation, a disc superimposed on one ear, alternating ridges and depressions on the adjacent faces of said ear and disc, normally maintained in engaging but yieldable relationship, a hinge pin through the ears and disc, means for holding the disc from rotation with the ear functioning only when the plates are approaching a normal alined position after being turned to a folding position relative to each other about the pin as an axis, a nut on the pin above the disc in normal clearance relation therewith, another disc mounted on the pin and engaging an .ear of the same plate as that from which the ridged ear projects,-a head on the pin' bearing against said other disc, the adjacent faces of the latter disc and the adjacent ear being cut on a slope and abutting against each other, whereby when the said last named ear and disc are turned relative to each other the thickness of the same together will be increased and the pin moved longitudinally, means whereby the said last named disc will be held from turning with the ear during a folding movement of the plates, a pawl on the plate to which said last named ear is attached, ratchet teeth on the last named disc engaged by said pawl only with the unfolding movement of the plates, a trip, projecting from the other plate positioned to engage and release the pawl from the teeth when the plates arrive at their normal alined position, and a spring then acting to restore said last named disc to its normal position.

12A combined hinge and door check in cluding members for attachment to a door and its casing, hinge connections between the members, checking means mounted in direct, connection with the hinge'connections for imparting achecking action to the door as it approaches a closed position, and means incorporated with said checking means for causing the latter to be restored to its normal unrestraining relationship with the hinge connections by the time it reaches its fully closed position.

13. A combined hinge and door check including members for attachment to a door and its casing, hinge connections between the members, checking means mounted in direct connection with the hinge connections for imparting a checking action to the door as it approaches a closed position, and means incorporated with said checking means for causing the extent of the checking action to be automatically proportioned to the amount of initial door opening movement.

14. A door check comprising a pair of plates for attachment to a door and its casing, vertically spaced ears projecting from one plate, an ear projecting from the other plate to extend between the other ears, a hinge pin through said ears and turnable with the first named ears, a disc on the pin superimposed on one of the first named ears, cooperating and alternating ridges and depressions on the adjacent faces of the disc and ear normally maintained in engaging but yieldable relationship, and means for holding the disc from rotation with the ear for a predetermined extent of movement of the plates and ears relative to each other and about the pin as an axis;

15. A door check comprising a pair of plates for attachment to a door and its casing, vertically spaced ears projecting from one plate, an ear projecting from the other plate to extend between the other ears, a hinge pin through said ears, and turnable with the first named ears, a disc on the pin superimposed on one of the first named ears, cooperating and alternating ridges and depressions on the adjacent faces of the disc and ear normally maintained in engaging but yieldable relationship, means for holding the disc from rotation with the ear for a predetermined extent of movement of the plates and ears relative to each other and about the pin as an axis, and'a disc turnable on the pin and disposed under one of said first named ears; the adjacent faces of said last named disc and ear engaging each other and being disposed in a plane not at right angles to the axis of the pin.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

JOHN H. HARRISON. 

